It’s interesting to see Yelawolf in a light where he brings more pure rock into a song. While he does have some great down beat tracks, they typically lean more on the vocal lines he raps. What I really enjoyed about “Rock & Roll Baby” is the way Yelawolf took his down beat soul like rock vocals and intertwined them with the twangy electric guitar of Shooter Jennings. As far as the music video goes, I think the music really complimented the message that was being conveyed throughout this video. The narrative of a son watching his mom trying to live out her version of a "rock & roll dream", while at the same time placing both in a scary situations, was captured perfectly and highlights the power (and pain) of this song. The other side of the video where Yelawolf and Jennings are performing outside of the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas was a great contrasting element and one I think pulled everything together as the video concluded. Overall, I really enjoyed "Rock & Roll Baby" and it's accompanying music video. Different for Yelawolf but I liked it, and am sure you will to!
- James Coffman
John Anderson aka DJ Hot Tub Johnnie has been spinning parties and throwing epic events for over 20 years. His DJ moniker "Hot Tub Johnnie" began with his infamous pool party events that began at Coachella, Sundance, and SXSW. When Hot Tub is behind the decks, he delivers a crowd pleasing collection of party treasures, crossing many decades and genres across the board. He's known for his strong ability to read the room, and understand the mindset of an event. Satisfying participants with an eclectic musical blend is his expertise. Whether your needs are big or small, Hot Tub Johnnie is here to help. Give him a call to discuss availability and pricing for your next Special Event, Wedding, or Corporate Gathering.
John Anderson
Hunnypot Unlimited
310-351-0336
janderson@hunnypotunlimited.
Hip Hop took center stage in Los Angeles at Super Bowl LVI. Among the star-studded line up of artists Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, and Mary J Blige was Los Angeles’s pride and joy – the one and only Snoop Dogg. It was a particularly eventful week for Snoop. Besides opening the Pepsi halftime show alongside his longtime partner in crime Dr. Dre, the 50-year-old rapper also acquired the infamous Death Row Records on Wednesday and released his 20th album BODR (Bacc On Death Row) on that very label on Friday. They say hip hop is a young man’s game. Back in 1993, when Snoop Dogg broke out onto the scene with his debut album Doggystyle (also dropped on Death Row), I’m sure he would have agreed. But now I think it’s fair to say that while there’s a ton of new fresh blood in the scene, heavyweights like Snoop are reminding us that the art of hip hop, which they pioneered, is now a middle aged artform. Let’s hop into a few of my favorite joints off BODR.
The album starts with “Still Smokin”. It’s an intro skit of Snoop Dogg telling an associate that he had a dream that he was back on Death Row. A few seconds later, we’re hit with that classic 90s gangsta funk beat as Snoop blesses us with a one-verse song where flexes his 160 million net worth, rolls up the chronic, and reminiscences about the early innovators on Death Row – Pac, Suge, and Nate Dogg. This one makes you feel like it’s 1995 again. Palm trees. Low riders. 40s of Old English. The whole deal.
The second track is my favorite on the album. Another single verse, “Gun Smoke” is no-holds-barred-gun-bar-barfest. If you were to just see this verse transcribed on paper, you would see hints of 21 Savage, G Herbo, or even Dutchavelli. Snoop’s pen on this song is an ode to the street hip hop of the 2010s and 2020s as shows that even one of the pioneers in the game can be as versatile as anyone. On the track, “Doggyystlyin,” he also takes it back to the old school laidback effortless gangsta flow we saw him perfect on “Murder Was The Case.” He drips his gang affiliations and his hood over a dark beat and funky bassline. Snoop may not always rap like this. But when he does, he’s seriously good at it.
While I’m personally a fan of the harder street version of Snoop, one of the biggest reasons he’s aged this well is his stylistic/emotional versatility. He has jams like “Coming Back” where he can rap over a feel-good beat that you’d likely play at the family cookout by the pool. “Coming Back’s” hook is assisted October London who wraps the song together with his feel-good melodies. Assisted by TI and Sleepy Brown, Snoop Dogg delivers another uplifting motivational track with “Gotta Keep Pushing”. On this track, Sleepy Brown sings, “Keep your head up and move // Love will always come through // You gotta keep pushing on”.
There’s a few other notable moments on the album. The Game makes an appearance on “Jerseys In The Rafters” and DaBaby continues to shine in his prime on “Pop Pop”. From front to back, Snoop proves he’s still got it. The fact he can lift you up emotionally on one track but gun you down on another track proves he’s only refined over the years. It’s been almost 30 years since Doggystyle, and he’s come full circle and is back on Death Row. I’m really excited to see what else the new Death Row owner has in store for us in the not-so-distant future...
Hope you had a great Superbowl and Valentines Day. Looks like our 2/21 HUNNYPOT LIVE at THE MINT show is going down as planned, finally the 1st for 2022. I couldn't help falling in love with this brand new Yung Gravy & Dillon Francis ft. T-Pain single/video tailor made for my Hot Tub Johnnie party moniker. See ya soon, bring your floaties.
-Hot Tub Johnnie
Like mana from heaven, The Haxan's latest video dropped into my lap this morning and it is amazing! "All The Roses" seems to check off all the boxes and then some in a world where much of the new music we are exposed to these days is cookie-cutter, over processed garbage. Ash Costello and Matt Montgomery continue to ascend the mountain and are going to be a force to be recokned with in the not-so-distant future. Do yourself a favor and check out their latest, "All The Roses". And once you do, let us know what ya think of their sound and video in the comments!
- Matthew Belter
Continuing our 20 year tradition of identifying and sharing the hottest and most meaningful new single releases. Check out and follow Hot Tub Johnnie's favorite singles released this year. Updated weekly, Hunnypot Approved!
If you would like to hear Hot Tub's party favorites from previous years, look no further:
Last year, just days before two highly anticipated triumphant October hometown shows in Los Angeles, System of a Down (SOAD) was forced to postpone. Unfortunately lead vocalist Serj Tankian had tested positive for Covid. The L.A. dates were rescheduled for February 2022, along with two new shows added in Phoenix and San Diego. I was fortunate to attend the October SOAD concert in Fresno just prior to the postponed L.A. shows. It was an incredible show (see my review of that HERE). After seeing that crazy good Fresno show, with co-headliner Korn, I was definitely excited for the opportunity to see these two top shelf rock bands again. Especially since it only required a 30-minute drive to the Viejas Arena on the campus of San Diego State, as opposed to the 5-hour trek to Fresno last year.
Exploding into the low tuned piledriving funky beat of the opener “Here to Stay”, it was clear Korn was bringing their “A-game” to San Diego. Lead singer Jonathan Davis and the boys brought an extra gear of energy compared to the show last Fall. Perhaps they were all fired up for the release of their new album, Requiem, which was just three days away. Korn gave the audience a taste of the new album with “Start the Healing”, a tune at first listen seemed to have all the important Korn elements -mid-tempo driving beat, heavy as shit guitars, intense aggressive vocals. Other highlights were Davis’ bagpipe intro for “Shoots and Ladders”, and a few lesser played but sick tunes like the upbeat “Ya’ll Want a Single” and the sing along classic “A.D.I.D.A.S.” (shortened version, better than nothing). The show climaxed perfectly with the tune that started it all, the first single off the very first album, “Blind”. Borrowing from Davis’ famous introductory phrase on this song , the new Korn album is out February 4th…”ARE YOU READY?!” I am!
A System of a Down show is an intense memorable experience. With over 40 million records sold worldwide, the band’s catalog is deep, dynamic and inspiring. Serj is back strong after his bout with Covid, and as expected, the band delivered a wildly entertaining show and connected in a special way with the audience. Not seeing a need to rehash the show in detail again, I decided to explore the phenomenon of why this band remains fiercely popular and continues to sell out arenas 17 years after their last studio album? What is it about this band that seems to resonate with music fans? I spoke directly with many of System’s loyal fans to seek insights:
Patrick, from the Instagram fan site “Victims of a Down” (with an impressive 39k followers), says “SOAD stands the test of time. Their songs and messages are even more relevant today as they were back in the 2000s. Raising awareness for the Armenian genocide and the situation in Artsakh shows how important that band is. Now only to me and fans but for a whole country and generations to come.”
Rose from Chula Vista explained that she loved SOAD in high school, but eventually viewed them as cheesy. Now in her 30’s she describes a renewed appreciation for the band, with their social messages and unique sound. “Their music gives me the chills!”, she said excitedly.
Mike from Oxnard proudly proclaimed, “Their music is timeless, and their performances are always unique and powerful.”
George from Ontario, “SOAD won’t follow a formula in their music, and they sing about literally anything. One song can be screaming facts about the prison system while the next song is talking about pulling tapeworm out of you.”
I had great conversations with many fans who are now in their 30s and 40s who grew up with SOAD during the post millennia glory years. Perhaps back in the day, some had been young naïve fans who simply loved rocking out to new heavy music. Now older and wiser, they now realize and appreciate the deeper wisdom intertwined in the music. But many fans seemed to be longtime loyalists from the very beginning. Their deep passion for the band burning bright and hot as ever.
The fan connection is real, tangible at every SOAD show I’ve attended – you can feel it in the air, thick as a Louisiana summer day. The energy and passion fans possess for System of a Down is truly special!
Be well and keep rockin’ - Greg Vitalich
Forty-three years since their debut album, British heavy metal heavyweights Saxon continue to roar full steam ahead with creativity. Last year while the world waited for the pandemic to subside, Saxon released Inspirations, a collection of kick-ass classic rock covers revved up the Saxon way. Now the legendary leaders of the 1980’s New Wave of British Heavy Metal are primed to release their 23rd studio album Carpe Diem on February 4th.
Co-founder and front man Biff Byford co-produced the record with accomplished metal producer Andy Sneap (Judas Priest, Accept, Testament, Megadeth). Sneap also mixed and mastered the album, which successfully captures the essence and spirit of Saxon while adding a crisp contemporary production touch resulting in Saxon sounding as bold, genuine and heavy as ever. “We don’t sound like an old band on records”, says Byford, “because we’re not sitting back on our past success, we’re always trying to make a great album.”
For accomplished bands with a strong legacy of success, releasing new material inevitably means being scrutinized with high expectations against a deep catalog of classic hits. The song that best stands up to these high expectations is the album’s first tune, the title track, "Carpe Diem (Seize the Day)". Released November 2, 2021 (including a video), this track has everything Saxon fans will love; a mysterious keys/war drums prologue pulling listeners back to ancient Roman Britannia and Hadrian’s wall, a monster drum fill intro by Nigel Glockler, a fast and nasty dual-guitar riff, superb vocal performance by Byford and a melodic gritty chorus shouting “Carpe Diem, Seize the Day”!
"It all starts with the riff,” says Byford, "if the riff speaks to me, then we’re on our way. It’s a very intense album, and that’s all down to the fact that the essence of a great metal song is the riff that starts it, and this album has loads of them."
The second single released January 11th, “Remember the Fallen”, is a memorable anthem addressing the current pandemic. “I wanted to write a song about Covid, about the people that have died, and give my perception of how it seemed to happen” offers Byford. “Certain aspects of it all are quite mysterious, and of course, it hasn’t finished yet, has it? We should all remember those who have died as a group of people not really knowing why they died, because the information wasn’t there.”
Another interesting element to this album, and “Remember the Fallen” specifically, is the backing vocal dynamics contributed by Byford’s son Seb Byford. Instead of simply layering different Biff Byford vocals tracks for a standard harmonizing effect (which can sound too mechanical) it was refreshing to hear a different voice providing the harmonies – a nice element I enjoyed with this album. Biff (on bass and vocals) and Seb (on guitar and vocals) released an album last year under the name Heavy Water, but it’s cool Seb finally collaborated with dad on a Saxon album.
“Carpe Diem” is Latin for “seize the day” and Saxon continues to seize every possible moment by continuing to produce great classic metal albums we can all appreciate. How many great bands from the 80’s are as active and productive as Saxon in 2022? Not many! Enjoying the same steady lineup for over 25 years, the band is a well-oiled pure metal machine showing no signs of slowing down. Their latest effort truly distills the frustrations and angst of the last few years (band member health scares and Covid) into an intense collection of 10 riff heavy, fiercely aggressive, melodic tracks that will certainly please classic metal fans. Seize the day and get this album!
Be well and always keep rockin’!
Covid claimed another live audience Hunnypot Live but we're a podcast so we recorded the show from the office again.
Show #454 happened and Holland Izz came through to get on the interview and performance microphones, and we were not disappointed.
Also joining us were music producer AntDawg, Sean and Maddie to make the night intimate and special. #WhereMusicLoversGoToPlay
Holland Izz is a recording artist & record producer from Compton, California that is culturally reinventing the sound of contemporary Hip-Hop. Effortlessly gaining traction with his energy fueled delivery & clever bars, he has been co-signed by some of the most notable hip-hop blogs including Zane Lowe, XXL, Lyrical Lemonade, and No Jumper.
Helping guide the next wave of LA sound, Holland Izz sets himself apart with cadence-driven bars and animated beats that highlight his sonic personality. A style that is hard to imitate, and impossible to replicate.
Hello friends, happy to still be able to serve you all as a boutique publisher. It's been a full 2 years since I've shared a compilation of the artists I'm currently working with and thought is would be a great time to catch you up. That said, Hunnypot is proud to offer up these fantastic artists for your listening and licensing pleasure.
Please support what we do here at Hunnypot and give a listen, hope to see you in person at a HUNNYPOT LIVE event soon.
-John "Hot Tub" Anderson
SKY CRIES MARY - L TRAIN
RORA WILDE - ABOUT YOU
SEAN THE STAR EMPERIOR - PARADISE
XHAANIA - PULL UP
ZEUS REBEL WATERS - LUV
LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS - THEY WON'T LET ME FORGET (ALL THE THINGS I CAN'T RECALL)
THE ROYAL HOUNDS - PICKIN' IN THE GRAVEYARD
SHY & DRS ft. JOSH SETTERFIELD - FLEX
INDICA - INTOXICATED
THE BELLRAYS - LOVE AND HARD TIMES
Location: Seattle, WA
Genre: Historic Seattle Psych rock band, Sky Cries Mary, releases their 13th studio album, “Wandering In the Vastness”.
Location: The Rio Grande Valley to Los Angeles
Genre: Powerhouse vocals soar over Alternative Pop/R&B sounds with moody & introspective lyrics
Location: Sirius Prime/Los Angeles, CA
Genre: Hip-Poppy earworm perfect for a kiki, a party, a drive and pretty much any situation that could stand for an extra dose of sunshine.
Location: Jamaica to Los Angeles
Genre: (Pronounced ZA-NEE-AH) Pop/Dancehall, saucy lyrics and fresh new approach to R&B
Location: St. Louis, MO
Genre: Gumbo/Hip Hop by an American artist/songwriter, entrepreneur, single-dad, community leader and philanthropist.
Location: Paducah, KY
Genre: Blues Roots Punk Band featuring frontman/author/artist J.D. Wilkes
Location: Nashville, TN
Genre: Fiery Honky Tonk With A Rock And Roll Edge
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Genre: Old Town Road Hip Hop/Country
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Genre: Electro-Pop/Hip-Hop Club anthem
Location: Riverside, CA
Genre: The BellRays is an all-original, high energy, Punk, Funk, Rock and Soul band fronted by Lisa Kekaula (Basement Jaxx).